Retiring In Your 40s

Those intermittent aches and pains in your 40s are a very powerful reminder that retirement isn't as far away as it used to be. But with two decades or more to go, you still have many years of disciplined, systematic savings in front of you.

go, you still need to populate your nest egg with investments that can grow. Michael Francis, a financial planner in Milwaukee, Wisconsin who counsels 401(k) participants, advises 40-somethings to maintain an 80% exposure to stocks. T. Rowe Price goes even further and recommends all equities until your 50s. The exact mix you choose might fall somewhere in the middle, but the point is to go for growth.